Breaking conventionsbringing out the topics that the society hesitates to touch in the public space, sounding as the voice of the oppressed who have been denied their rights, this ‘star is moving’ changes all the grammars that Tamil cinema has laid so far.
A theater group is functioning in Puducherry. There are those who are obsessed with art, those who have an insatiable passion for cinema, well – those who believe that it is a space beyond them, those who believe that ‘art is not entertainment, it is a form of politics’ – there are people from many groups of society in that group. This film unfolds like an irregular but beautiful picture of their background, the political views that depend on it, the internal contradictions that occur between them, and the impact that this joint journey has on them.
Dushara – The soul of experience that the ‘star moves’ bestows upon us. He shines with such maturity as the main character in a collection of weighty stories with multiple dimensions. We yearn to see the world through his eyes, we are troubled by his past, we fall in love with the truths that he teaches… Scene by scene, he pulls us into the screen and leaves us in that world. Many approvals are pending.
Kalidas Jayaram as a young man who talks about ambition as needed. A character who is neither over-politicized, nor politically savvy, has a flawless balance and impresses. If you take the average audience sitting in the theater and wander inside, it is the ‘Arjun’ that Kalaiyarasan would have acted in. If at some point in the three-hour film the audience is also subjected to Arjun’s mood swings, then Kalaiyarasan’s success. Pa. Ranjith’s success in performing magic through art.
Sumit Borana, Arjun, Subatra Robert, Transgender Celine Mathew, who loves him naturally, Stephen Raj, Udaya Surya who spreads what they believe in through dance, Manisha Tait who says art has no language, Charles Vinod who says that art has no language, Charles Vinod who says that the greatest of artists – no small, and music. Harikrishnan as a point of connection with politics, Gnanaprasad as a marginalized North Chennai youth, Regine Rose as a social activist living as ‘drama is the world’, Vinshu Rachel as an oppressed dominant caste woman, and Sabir as a fundamentalist force are representatives and symbols of each section of the society. They have realized the importance of the characters they have taken and acted in the course of the story.
Cinematographer Kishore Kumar and art director Jayaragu have brought all the stars of the universe and filled the film. Tenma’s music further refines this colorful world and takes it to the next level. The film unfolds as a great visual experience with the efforts of these three.
Selva RK’s filmography can be aptly described as ‘the order of the disorderly’. He has co-created a story with the director that spreads its branches like a snake and absorbs everything it encounters.
As mentioned before, creator Pa. Iranjit strongly believes that ‘art is a political form’. It can be said that this film is his highest emotional expression. He decided his space by himself, did not fall within the boundaries of mass cinema, shared his political affiliation very emphatically and bravely, represented all those who were oppressed by love, did not compromise even in storytelling and made them ecstatic through visual language.
It is a political film as they sit in a group and have a conversation. It is a love picture when people get attracted beyond age, race, gender and caste. It is a dream when the door opens and Rene takes Inian by the hand through the streaming sunlight. In the second half of the documentary, the dominant castes are told that ‘there is no such thing as drama, you have to act with love’. It is an alternative cinema where you can say what you think through the dialogues. Ba.Iranjit has built it like this. As such, it is a magic that rarely happens in Tamil cinema.
Everyone in public has the right to criticize the work according to its nature and the creator according to his bias. While the director knows this for sure, putting Ilayaraja in the position of a god beyond criticism, and the fact that everyone who criticizes him has a caste mentality, is the big thrust in the film. René’s character design, which teaches the lesson that ‘political clarity does not come overnight’, naturally fails to overcome this basic escapism.
When everyone talks for the first time, the story moves evenly as argument – counter argument. But as the director’s criticisms are heaped on a single character, Inian, its credibility is being undermined. Although giving a second chance is a matter of personal preference, the second chance given to Kalaiyarasan also creates the impression that Rene approaches his crime with ease.
Although there are different opinions about the things that Pa. Ranjith has talked about through the film, this ‘star is moving’ will forever be a shining star in Tamil cinema.